After 320 queries and a pivot into Horror, I’ve finally signed!

The Numbers:

• Total Years: 5
• Total Manuscripts: 3
• Total Queries: 320
• Total Rejections: 156 (and far too many ghosts)
• Final Result: 2 Offers, 1 Agent.

Book 1 (TSATWON x The Curse of Saints): I started in 2021 with the classic "I'm going to write a book and get an agent this year" approach. Because of course, we all know how easy that is... My first attempt was an 186k Adult Romantic Fantasy (yes, I know). I cut it to 119k, got selected for a mentorship (WriteTeam Mentorship Program), and thankfully learned that characters should have actual reactions to things. After posting my query here and getting the green light from my mentor, I finally queried in 2023. I managed 10 requests (even though I had a goal for TWO) and an R&R from a major publisher, which I turned down. But ultimately, a book without an offer is still just a book without an offer.

Stats for Book 1:

Total Queries: 108

Requests from socials: 0

Full Requests: 10

The 1st Pivot- Book 2 (The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes x Dead by Daylight): My second book, a YA Dystopian, was my "indulgent" book. It taught me how to pitch and helped me lean into the areas I really loved to write: atmosphere and action with a heavy focus on friendships. I landed 14 full requests and another serious R&R, but again, no offer.

Stats for Book 2: 

Total Queries: 108

Requests from socials: 9

Full Requests: 14

The Genre I Was Meant to Write In- Book 3 (Scream x Nothing But Blackened Teeth x Mean Girls): I finally took the leap into writing A24-style (what I hope is elevated) horror with a slasher/final girl subversion. With this book, I stopped trying to be "nice" or "marketable" and wrote about fully toxic platonic friendships and the gore I actually wanted to see. Because of my previous books, I had built a "brand" in the slush pile; agents who had rejected my previous work were now sliding into my DMs for this one. This was one major goal I always kept in the front of my mind.

The Stats for Book 3:

• Queries: 104
• Requests: 26 (including editor interest)
• Offer Timeline: 123 days from first query to first offer.

The Offers: I received two offers. The first was from an agent who had been tracking my work since Book 2 (and slid into my DMs a few times). The second came 8 minutes after a rejection—the agent’s intern had just been promoted and loved the manuscript so much she insisted on throwing her hat in the ring. I chose to wait 19 days, which was torture and still got hit with a lot of "sorry I couldn't get to it," which was eye-opening to me. I didn't realize how busy this time of year was!

Yesterday, I signed with my offering agent. She's a dream and super aggressive with strategy, and I can't wait to see what my edit letter holds.

My Takeaway: I'm not going to tell you it’s worth it or that there's a light at the end of the tunnel. You need to decide that for yourself. Most of this process is just sitting in the silence and realizing that no one is coming to save your book but you. It isn’t up to your CPs or an agent to do the work for you. Decide to do the work. Don't be "nice." Don't be patient. Be the most difficult thing in the inbox to ignore: a fucking good book. 

(HUGE THANK YOU TO ALANNA WHO ANSWERED A MILLION PARANOID QUESTIONS WHILE I WAITED!!)